


Strange Little Families

by innerslytherin



Series: The Fifth Year [23]
Category: Criminal Minds
Genre: Multi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-07-04
Updated: 2010-07-04
Packaged: 2017-10-10 09:33:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,619
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/98192
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/innerslytherin/pseuds/innerslytherin
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Dave and Emily make up for their lost weekend in Atlantic City, while Aaron and Spencer contemplate what makes up a family.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Strange Little Families

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks to [](http://resolucidity.livejournal.com/profile)[**resolucidity**](http://resolucidity.livejournal.com/) for the beta. Spoilers for "...A Thousand Words".

  
"Prentiss beat me."

Aaron looked over at Spencer. He'd been saying that periodically all the way home. "You know, if you hadn't reacted like that, we'd all have thought you let her win," he pointed out.

"I didn't!" Spencer protested. Only Spencer would think that was an insult.

Aaron grinned. "Maybe she was stacking the deck."

"She just got damned lucky," Spencer said. He shook his head. "I wouldn't believe it if I hadn't been there."

"You know, at least she still plays poker with you." Dave had refused to play poker with Spencer after the second time. When Derek ribbed him about it, Dave had claimed his ego couldn't take it, even if his wallet could.

Spencer gave him a half-smile. "It's funny," he said. "I'm never sure where I stand with her, even though you tell me she likes me. But I guess if she's willing to play poker..."

"You know, she's like that with everyone, not just you," Aaron said, realizing suddenly that he'd never really explained that to Spencer. "She doesn't trust easily. And I know she does trust all of us on the team, but she has a hard time showing that, because it makes her vulnerable."

"You shouldn't profile her," Spencer pointed out, but he seemed interested.

"Mm. I'm sure she'd rather be profiled than have you doubt your friendship. Aaron pulled up next to Jessica's car in their apartment's parking lot. "You're a part of her family."

Spencer's smile became genuine, a sight that always sent a thrill through Aaron. "We're all part of her family," he said. "We're more her family than her mother is, I think." The corners of his mouth quirked thoughtfully. "What I went through with my mom was hard, but at least I've always known she loves me."

Aaron reached over and squeezed Spencer's hand. "And you learned a lot about parenting from her despite yourself," he said quietly. "Because I know Jack knows how much you love him."

  
***

  
"Sin to win?" Dave said, arching an eyebrow. He hadn't been pleased about the case popping up at the start of a highly anticipated weekend. They'd been planning this ever since Emily found out the Ambassador was going to be in the Middle East over Mother's Day weekend. Since they weren't obliged to make a family appearance, Dave had proposed they have fun and spend Mother's Day weekend trying to make her a mother. On Sunday they'd planned to drive up to Long Island for her to meet his mother. Good thing he'd planned for that to be a surprise.

Emily laughed and poured them both a cup of tea. "Well, I didn't exactly tell Morgan _who_ I was sinning with, did I?"

"Oh come on, Emily, they all know we're together." He shook his head. "You realize Morgan's been giving me sympathetic looks all through the case, like maybe he knows something I don't. The man thinks you were going to Atlantic City without me."

"Oh, come on," she scoffed back at him. "Like they don't all know I'm head over heels for you." She ruffled her fingers through his hair and kissed him slowly. "Anyway, Morgan doesn't even know what a sin to win weekend is."

"Neither do I, thanks to that case," Dave grumbled, and she laughed. God, he loved the sound of her laugh.

She came around the table and straddled his lap, smiling at him. "Don't worry," she murmured, leaning in for a kiss. "I promise to give you a good education." She leaned in until her lips brushed his ear. "Make sure Jimmy's got a whole morning free for confession this week."

  
***

"Thanks for bringing Jack home, Jessica," Spencer said, smiling at her. Aaron and Jack had gone to put Jack's "ready bag" away in his room. "Um, I don't know if you have plans for the weekend, but Aaron and I wanted to take you out to eat on Sunday."

She gave him a surprised look. "That's...um, Spencer, that's Mother's Day. The restaurants will be packed."

He swallowed and nodded. He and Aaron had agreed this might come better from him instead of Aaron, but it was still hard to talk to her about this, because she was Haley's sister. "It's just...you're really becoming like another parent to Jack, and..." He pressed his lips together. "We don't want him to forget about Haley, and we want him to honor you too."

Jessica put a hand up to touch her cheek, her eyes suddenly glassing over with unshed tears. Spencer had to take a deep breath just to keep talking.

"I know it's a really weird sort of family we have now, but--but you're part of it too, Jessica. And we think Mother's Day..." He shrugged, not sure how to express it properly. What if she was angry at him? What if she thought he was being disrespectful of Haley's memory?

But to his surprise, she threw her arms around him and squeezed him. "Thank you," she whispered, and kissed his cheek. He tried not to stiffen, but she pulled away, looking at him with a completely unreadable expression on her face. She seemed unhappy, but she sounded happy...except there were tears on her cheeks. "I know you guys don't think I'm just the babysitter, but thank you." She gave him a tremulous smile and he decided that meant they were okay.

He nodded. "Okay, so...we'll call you on Sunday?"

"I'd like that," she said, and then she left, obviously restraining herself from hugging him again.

"I take it things went well," Aaron said from the doorway.

"I think so," Spencer said. He went over and wrapped an arm around Aaron's trim waist. "She seemed happy."

"Thank you," Aaron murmured, resting his head against Spencer's shoulder. "You've...I couldn't have done this without her, but I couldn't have done it without you either. I was so afraid that things wouldn't work out..."

"Who says families have to be conventional?" Spencer said, stroking his fingers through Aaron's hair. He liked that Aaron was letting it grow out a little more these days. "After all, did any of us have conventional families?"

Aaron laughed faintly. "Dave did. Sometimes I think he's the most normal of all of us."

Spencer snorted. "I wouldn't go that far."

A shout interrupted from one of the back bedrooms. "Daddy! Spencer! I am ready for a bed-time story!"

"Be right there, buddy," Aaron called back, pulling away.

"Aaron," Spencer said quietly, and his lover stopped, looking at him questioningly. "Are you okay? Earlier I thought we would have trouble with the detective, but you talked to him...You've been sort of quiet since then."

Aaron shook his head. "He was just personally involved. And it...meant a lot to me to see that he made that work for him. We've all done it, and I know I've done it worse than any of you." Spencer tried to protest, but Aaron shook his head. "I know I have. Foyet made it personal, but I'd made it personal before that, before we ever got called back to Boston. I'm not saying it was my fault that...Foyet killed Haley." His voice grew choked for a moment, but he shook his head again. "But I understand. That's all."

Spencer nodded. He didn't know what he could say that would help. Probably nothing _could_ help. He leaned in and kissed Aaron softly.

"Daaaaaaddy!" Jack was an expert at whining at the top of his lungs.

Aaron's face broke into a smile. "Come on," he said, reaching for Spencer's hand. "We owe our son a bedtime story."

  
***

  
"I thought you were a nerd," Dave said. It was so late it was probably early. They were sprawled naked on the king-size bed, her head on his chest. He twirled a lock of her hair around his fingers, his expression indulgent. "At least, that's the story I've always heard."

"What's that have to do with anything?" she asked, stretching her legs out and pointing her toes luxuriously. She didn't really care about the Atlantic City weekend too much, considering the way this night had gone.

"Come on, a real nerd would have known that about _The Illustrated Man_," he said.

Emily made a face. "Oh, I'm so sorry that I read the books instead of watching the movies. Come on, movies made from books are always a disappointment. Why would I subject myself to that?"

"The Godfather movies were good," Dave objected.

She laughed. "Okay, fine, but I only watched those because I didn't _want_ to read the books."

"You _what_?" Dave gave her a playful shove that made her shriek and grab at him, laughing.

"Hey, I'm sorry, but I never wanted to work organized crime. I grew up knowing too much about the Russian mob to ever want to get involved as an agent."

"Those are some of the best books written."

"Eh." She pressed her lips together and tightened her grip on his arm when he acted again like he was going to shove her off the bed.

"Masterpieces of literature."

"They're about organized crime. You only like them because they're Italian."

He growled and slid an arm around her waist. "You're damn lucky I love you," he murmured, pulling her back against him. She spooned back into him, giggling when he blew her hair away from his mouth.

"I know I am," she said, and tangled her fingers with his. She smiled, loving the way they fit together. "I know I am."

Some time later, just as she was slipping into sleep, his voice brought her back. "You know," he said thoughtfully, "we oughtta get matching tattoos."


End file.
